Tom Brown Asks What About the Democrats?

Which is a good question.

"Democrats are masochists too though Mike. They don't go out to vote when there isn't a shiny object to keep their attention focused, and the result is the largest Republican majority in the House in many decades. If fucking Democrats would vote instead of whatever the fuck else they're doing on election day, this political cancer called the GOP (beholden to a core of angry hot-headed delusional zealots) wouldn't be nearly so toxic as it is."

http://lastmenandovermen.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-republican-party-is-no-longer-party.html?showComment=1444437543661#c4439213981885196770

Here was my immediate response to Tom:

"Oh don't get me wrong. There are definitely some self defeating attitudes and actions on the part of the Democratic party. My point here is not to deny the Dems mismanage things a lot.  A big problem with the Democratic party are the large number of 'Emoprogs' who can be sort of like the Tea Party extremists in letting the perfect being the enemy of the good. "

"There has often been a problem with progressive activists that they are too single issue rather than strategic. They tend to care only about their pet issues rather than the Democratic party. Agreed. But they are still a party even one that makes some very boneheaded moves sometimes. "

"Look what's pathetic is that the Dems have played the GOP to a 1-1 tie for 48 years when the public clearly agrees with us ideologically. On the New Deal, etc"

In my last post I pointed out that the modern GOP which I date back to the rise of the New Deal is Nixonian. This means their only real interest is being part of the scorched earth opposition for New Deal liberal Democrats, not of providing any kind of a meaningful positive vision for the country. 

http://diaryofarepublicanhaterblogspotcom.sharedby.co/share/q5FmjV

But a party needs to be for something not just against something. But the party has just gotten more and more purist and ideological through the years-because of the insecurity of knowing they are on the wrong dies of the issues with the American people. 

On some level they realize they can't win on issues. 

But the party gets more and more purist and unwilling to compromise even within the party, even within the House GOP. 

I'd say that purity is always an Original Sin. You have some versions of this in the Democratic party or among the base at times. 

There are some Emoprogs that sound like they'd rather be right than President. Most of these folks are for Bernie this time around, they hated Obama once he got into office-maybe they liked him during his 2008 'Yes we can' stage. and they supported Nader in 2000 who cares if it gives us W?

Purity-letting the perfect be the enemy of the good is always the problem. It's what the Far Left and Far Right as opposed to the sensible center have in common. 

I would say that to an extent we have a problem with voter suppression in certain Republican dominated states. 

But I don't get why so many Democratic voters need to be warmed up to be enthused for the next election. Part of it is that the conservative groups have done a much better job than the liberal groups in the past firing up the base. 

I think at least now there is some awareness from the party that this is a problem. 

No matter what, purity is a problem as it strikes against building a consensus. To have unity we have to be willing to play up our areas of agreement and minimize our disagreements. Without this we can't get anything done. 

By this definition the Dems have had these problems in the past from time to time. But they are a party if a party that's not always efficient and smart in its tactics. 

A really annoying aspect of Emoprogs is how they turn up their virgin noses at the very idea that there is a tactical, strategic side to politics even if on policy we are on the side of angels or at least closer to them. 

The GOP though now looks like it's going to struggle to even find the most basic unity in the future if they can't agree on a Speaker. 

The Democrats may not always be such a bright party but the GOP is ceasing to be a party